Folding door.



H. G. SCH'WEIVILEIN.-

FOLDING DOOR.

APPLICATION FILED sEPT. 2a, 1910.

Patented Aug. 12, 1913.

3 SHEETSSHEET 1.

H. c. SGH WEMLEIN.

FOLDING DOOR.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 23, 191-0.

L069,?,, Patented Aug. 12,1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

STATES A OFFO.

HARRY 0'. SCHWEMLEIN, or cmomna'rr, OHIO, ASSIGNQB, or ONE-HALF '10 DANIEL 1B. BRYAN AND one-HALF To WILLIAM SCHWEMLEIN, or CINCINNATI, onro;

MARY B. BRYAN, 0F FAYETTE COUNTY, KENTUCKY,.ADMINISTMTRIX OF SAID DANIEL B. BRYAN, DECEASED.

of that type composed of a plurality of vertically-movable sections which are simultaneously raised to open the door and simultaneously lowered to close the same, the door being particularly adapted for use in factories, freight'sheds, and the like, where the doors are often of considerable size an weight.

The invention has for one of its objectsto improve and simplify the construction and operation of doors of this character so as to be comparatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture, reliable and efficient in use, and readily manipulated. The door is also designed to occupy little space,- to be rigid and non-sagging.- regardless of its size, and to be weather-tight when closed.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a novelly constructed door in which the sections thereof are counterbalanced by a single Weight and can be raised by the turning of a crank or equivalent device so that the door sections will reach full open position at the same time.

A further object is the employment of novel connecting means between the movable sections of the door so that the raising and lowering mechanism may be connected with only the lowermost section to cause corresponding movement of the other Sect/1011 01- sections at different speeds. t

A further object is the provisibn of means whereby all the door sections can, after they have been raised to alining position, be thrown to a horizontal position to complete the opening movement'of the door, the said swinging movement being effected by the same mechanism which raises themovable door sectionsto such alining position. In this form of my door, the lower door section or sections, upon being raised, are-received by guides formed on the face of the upper door section which thereby constitutes a carrier for receiving the door sections and ear- Specification of Letters Patent.

AJ FOLDING DOOR.

Patented Aug. 12, 1913.

Application filed September 23, 1910. Serial No. 588,519.

rying the same into horizontal position. In connection with this form of my device, the form and means of operation of the carrier and for cotirdinating the same with the lower door sections, constitute features of my invention.

With these objects in view and others, as I will appear as the description proceeds, the invention comprises the various novel features of construction and arrangement of parts which will be more fullywlescribed hereinafter and set forth with particularity in the claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate certain embodiments of the in-- vention, Figure 1 is a front View of a door constructed in accordance with one form of my invention with the sections thereof shown in closed position. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the door with the sections or panels thereof in closed position. Fig. 3 is a similar view with the door sections in open position. Fig. 4 represents a vertical section similar to Fig. 2, of themodified form of door adapted to be swung into horizontal position; Fig. 5 is avertical section."

similar to Fig. 4, in which the door sections have been moved into the carrier and the latter has been moved part way into horizontalposition; Fig. 6 is a vertical section of the same construction,- in which the carrier with the door sections contained therein, has been moved into fully horizontal lowering the door panels.

Similar reference'characters are employed to designate corresponding parts throughout theviews.

Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to Figs. 1, 2 and 3. the reference characters 1, 2 and 3 designate, respectively, the lower. intermediate and upper sections or panels of adoor constructed in accordance with one form of my invention, which are capable of being raised to an alining position side by side in front of a transom 4 at the top of the doorway. The ends of the sections 1, 2 and 8 slide in vertical idevvay's 5, 6 and 7, respectivel oii the ]ambs 8 of the door frame, the sai guideways extending in the form of my device illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 the width of'top section of door above the top of the jambs. The guideeways. 5, 6 and 7, are side by side, and so placed that the, left hand face of section 1 is in substantially the same vertical plane as the right hand face of section 2, referring to Fig. 2 of the drawings, and

the left hand face of section 2 is in substan--'- end of the said chain passing around a.

sprocket wheel 12' fastened to a shaft 13 at the upper right hand corner of the door frame, Fig.- 1. (Tn. this shaft 13 is a pinion 14: that. meshes with a gear 15 on another shaft 16 arranged above the shaft 13. On the shaft-16 is a sprocket wheel having two rows of teeth 17 and 18 that mesh respectively with sprocket chains 19 and 20, the chain 19 extending downwardly along the right side of the door frame to connect with the bottom panel 1 and the chain 20 extending horizontally across the top of the door frame to and around a guide pulley or sprocket 21 at the upper left corner of the transom and from here it extends downwardly along the left side of the door frame to connect with the bottom panel of the door. The lower ends of the chains or flexible elements 19 and 20 are connected respectively with forwardly-extending brackets 22 and 23 at the lower corners of the bottom panel, so that an even vertical pull will be exerted thereon when the crank 9 is turned to open the door. In order to counterbalance the weight of the door sections or panels, a single counterbalancing weight 2 1 is provided and it is 'to this that the chains 19 and 20 are connected. This weight is adapted to run in a vertical casing or box 25 at the right side of the door frame.

The above described arrangement of lifting means for the door is merely illustrative.

The panels 2 and 3 are operatively related to the bottom panel 1 so that as the latter is lifted to open position, the other sections will be lifted therewith and as the door descends to closed position, all of the sections will descend at the same time to their proper positions. The closing of the door in the form of my invention illustrated,

is by gravity under the restraint of the crank 9. The means which I consider best adapted for causing upward movement of the bottom door section to raise the other door sections and which constitutes a specific part of my mvention, will now be described.

equivalent anti-friction devices The upper corners of the bottom panel are connected by chains or flexible elements 26 to the lower corners of the upper panel 3,

whereas the upper corners of the interme-' diate panel 2 are connected, by chains or flexible elements 27, with the lower corners of the transsom, and in order to do this the chains 26 pass under the panel 2 while the chains 27 pass under the panel 3. On the panels 2 and 3 are guide pulleys 28 or around which the chains 26 and 27 pass and whereby the sections 2 and 3 are supported. It is obvious that by means of this construction the panel 2 is lifted when the panell rises" and the panel 3 moves upwardly with the panel 2. Although the respective panels travel different distances from closed to open position, or vice versa, they all move etc. extending in each instance from the upl per edgeof a lower panel around the bottom of the next higher panel and being connected to the lower edge of the panel above that or to a fixed portion of the frame work as the transom 4, as the case may be. The. number of sections can be increased by merely increasing the number of guideways, and space occupied transverse to the planes of the sections Wlll increase with the number of sections; substantially only by the thickness of the sections. This is, because,

by the construction shown, the sections can sllde over each other without any waste '2 and 3, the first two being movable in vertical guideways 5 and 6 The section or panel 3 issecured against vertical sliding movement 1n a frame or carrier 29, which carries guide ways, which, in the normal or closed osition of the carrier shown in Fig. 4, are in ahnement with the guideways 5 and 6, mounted on the door frame This construction permits the lower and intermediate panels to be lifted from the guideways 5 and 6 into the alining guideways of the carrier so that the carrier with the door sections containedtherein may then be moved from a vertical position into a horizontal position, as shown in.Fig. 6. The means for lifting the panels and for causing'upward Upon lifting the bottom section, the same traveling in its guideway 5 and subsequently in the 'alining guideway of carrier 29, moves across the face of section 2 and the latter moves across the face of section 3 in the same manner as described in connection with Fig. 2, sections 2 and 1 arriving in alinement with each other and with section 3" in the carrier 29 at'the same time.

The mechanism for raising and lowering the lower and intermediate panels is employed to swing the panels to horizontal position, and this swinging movement occurs at the-final part of the opening movement of the door. At one side of the door frame is arranged the operating crank 30 which is connected by a sprocket chain 31 with a sprocket wheel 32 on a shaft 33 adjacent the top of the door frame, the said shaft being connected by a gearing 34 with a shaft 86 on mounted at 43 on pins carried by bearings which are spaced sprocket wheels 37 and 38. Over these wheels passsuspension chains 39 and 40 thatare connected with the lowercorners of the panel 1, and these chains are connected with the' counterbalance weight 41. B'yturning the crank 30 in the proper.

direction the lower and intermediate panels are raised into the carriers29 and further movement of the crank causes the carrier to swing as shown in Fig. 5 until a horizontal position is reached, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6.

The carrier is mounted in position so that normally the section 3* closes the upper portion ofthe door opening'with the carrier guideways in alinement with the guideways 5 and 6 on the door frame. The carrier is supported by links 42 which are pivotally 44 secured'to the. wall above the door way. The links 42 are pivoted to carrier 29, as shown at 45. Preferably, as shown, the links are pivoted to thewall at a point some distance above the door way and to the carrier at a point above the middle thereof, the construction being such that when the bottom and intermediate panels arefully raisedin the carrier, continued upward movement of the bottom panel will cause the links 42 to swing outwardly; The links 42 are pivoted to the carrier at somedistance from the door opening so that the links 42 are nclined to the vertical sufliciently 'to cause the carrier and section 3 carried thereby, to press 'tightlyinto position to close the door opening.

The lower corners of the carriers are provided with anti-friction means such as the rollers 46 illustrated which ride on vertical tracks 47 provided on the door frame so that the carrier with the panels carried thereby can freely move to and from horizontal position.

In the normal or closed position of the door, the top of section 1% extends slightly above the lower edge of section 2 and the .upper edge of section 2? extends slightly lower edge of section 3 when 1n closed position, if desired. When the sections 2" and l are lifted into the carrier, they rise entirely out of the frame guideways 5 and 6*, so that the carrier is then held in closin position only by the inclination of lin s 42, which, as stated, holds the rollers 46 on the rear of the lower edge of the carrier in contact with vertical track or surface 47. The upper edge of the rear face of section 3 normally contacts a similar vertical surface above the doorway. When-the carrier has been swung into horizontal position, .as shown in Fig. 6, it is entirely supported by links 42,-the lower edge of. the carrier contacting the vertical face of the wall, as shown, and the outer end of the carrier being supported by the links. Because of this construction, which I prefer to use .and which constitutes a portion of my invention, it is unnecessary to employ any additional means for supporting the carrier in its raised position, the inclination of the links being such and their connection with the carrier being at such a point, toward the outer end thereof, that the carrier will be rigidly supported The sliding door sections 1 and 2, as

stated, are lifted fully into the carrier 29 into alinement with the door section 3 after which continued upward movement of section 1 causes movement of the carrier as a whole. This is caused by the sections Fund 2 striking abutments in the carrier which prevent furt-her movement of the sliding sections relative to the'carrier. The abutments referred to in the preferred form of my device, as illustrated, consist of a rigid member closing the upper ends of the guideways carriedby the carrier. This member is represented by the straight line shown at 29 in Figs. 5 and- 6, which member'extends the full width of the'carrier and forms a stop or abutment against which the, upper ends the sliding door sections strike.when the this character when of wide span, as in the case 'of large warehouse doors, to sag con- 'siderably.

It will be noted that with this type of door, one, two, three or more sliding sections, such as 2 and 1 may be employed, it only being necessary to provide a suiiicient number of guideways, such as 5" and 6 to accommodate the same, and the space transverse to the planes of the door sections being substantially only that equal to the thick ness of the sections. .No guideway similar to 5 or 6 is required for the section 3 and its carrier, but merely a vertical plane surface or surfaces, such as the track 47, parallel to the plane or section 3 for the rollers 46 to travel upon. If the number of sliding sections and guideways, such as 5 and (3 are increased, the number of guideways carried by the carrier would, of course, be correspondingly increased. lVith this construction, the door is perfectly weather tight, since the sliding sections in normal or closed position, are all inclosed at the edges in the guideways 5 and 6 secured to the fixed structure of the doorway, and there is ac cordingly no open space between the outer edges of any section and the doorway struc ture.

It should be understood that while for purposes of illustration I have described the particular forms ofmy invention shown in the drawings, my invention is not limited.

strictly thereto but is as broad as indicated by the appended claims.

Having now described my invention what I claim as new and desire to protect byLetters Patent is 1. In a door structure, the combination with a door frame having vertical guideways at the lower portion of its opposite sides, of a normally vertical carrier nor-' mally covering the upper portion of the door opening and having guideways normally alining with said frame guideways, and provided with a stop, suspension means pivot-' ally connected to said carrier and to a fixed point above said doorway, an upper door section carried by said carrier, a lower door section normally slidably mounted in said frame guideways, rollers mounted on the lower edge of said carrier and contacting a vertical surface of said door frame, and means for lifting said lower door section into the guideways of said carrier and into contact with said stop and thereafter causing said carrier to swing about said rollers into horizontal position, substantially as described.

2. In a door structure, the combination with a door frame having vertical guideways at the lower portion of its opposite sides and a vertical track at its upper portion, of an upper door section normally covering the upper portion of the door opening, and carrying 'guideways normally alining with said frame guideways, rollers secured.

to the lower edge of said door section con tacting said track, links pivotally connected to said door section and at their upper ends to a part secured to the said frame, said links \normally extending diagonally upward toward the plane of said track, a lower door section normally slidably mounted in said frame guideways and movable therefrom into said upper section guideways, and vertically-acting means for lifting said lower section into said upper section guideways and thereafter swinging said two sections together about said rollers into horizontal position, substantially as described.

3. In a door structure, the combination with a door frame having a vertical track of a carrier normally covering the upper portionof the door opening and provided with an upper door section and guideways parallel thereto, and closed at the top, link sus pension means pivoted to said carrier and to the frameabove the door opening, and so inclined as to normally hold said carrier against said track, a lower door section normally covering the lower portion of the door opening and slidably mounted in line with;

said guideways, and liftingmeans for raising said lower section into said guideways I and into contact with the closed ends thereof and thereafter raising said carrier and.

swinging the same about its lower edge contacting said track, substantially as described.

4. In a door structure, the combination with a door frame having a vertical track of a carrier normally vertically mounted opposite the upper portion of theedoor opening and provided with vertical guideways, having abutments, link suspension means pivoted to said carrier above the middle there of and to-the frame above the door opening and so inclined as to normally hold'said carrier against said track, a sliding doir section normally covering the lower Portion of ing said frame, vertical guideways mounted on said frame below and in line with said carrier guideways, sliding door sections connected together and mounted'in said last named guideways, and a isingle means for raising 'said sections-into said carrier guideways and thereafter swinging said carrier about said pivot means under the restraint of said suspensiOn means, substantially as described. V,

6. In a door structure, the combination with a door frame having a vertical track,

of a carrier provided with a door section parallel to said track, and parallel guideways adapted to receive sliding door sections, rolling means secured to an edge of said carrier adapted to contact said track, and link suspension means pivotally connected to said carrier and said frame in such a manner as to support said carrier and cause said rolling means to press against said track in any position of the same upon said track, substantially as described.

7. In a door structure, the combination with a door frame having a vertical track, of a carrier provided with a door section parallel to said track, andparallel guide ways adapted to receive sllding door sections, said guideways being open at the bottom and said carrier being provided at the top with a stiffening member closing the top of said guideways, plvotal means secured to the lower edge of said carrier adapted to contact said track, and link suspension means pivotally connected to sald carrier and said frame in such a manner as .to support said carrier and cause said rolling means to press against said track in any position of the same upon said track, substantially as described. i 8. In a door structure, the combination with a door frame of an upper door section, provided with a pair of gurdeways, link means for pivotally sus ending the same from said frame, said rame being provided with vertical guideways below and in line with said upper guideways when said upper section is in normal positlon covering the door opening, sliding lower and lntermediate door sections in said frame guideways, a roller on the bottom of said intermediate sect1on,a flexible connection passing around said roller and secured to the top of said lower section andto the bottom of said upper section, respectively, means for 11fting said lower section and said intermediate section therewith into said upper section guideways, and thereafter raising and swinging said upper section with slid-ing sections carried thereby out of the vertical, under the restraint of said suspension means, substantially as described.

9. The combination of a door frame or similar structure having at opposite sides a plurality of vertical guidcways, a'normal'ly vertical carrier at the upper portion of the structure having guideways normally alining with the first-mentioned guideways,

links pivotally connected to, the structure at a point above the carrier and also pivot-ally connected with the latter, at a point above its center, said links normally being inclined at an angle to the plane of said guideways, panels movable from the guideways of the structure to the guideways of the carrier and vice versa, counterbalancing means connected with the panels, and a single mechanism for first moving. the.

panels into-the carrier and thereafter moving the carrier upwardly from a vertical to an approximately horizontal posit-ion.

10. In a door structure, the combination with a door frame of a carrier normally vertically mounted "opposite the upper portion of the door opening, and comprising an upper door section and a plurality of vertical guideways parallel thereto, having abut-ments, link suspension means pivoted to said carrier and said frame, pivot means carried by said carrier and contacting saidframe below and in line with said carrier guideways, sliding door sections mounted in said last named guideways, flexible connections one less than the number of said sliding sections, secured respectively to the tops of each of said sections except the upper most, each connection passing thence around the lower end of the next higher section and secured at its upper end to the sliding section orcarrier immediately above that, and means for lifting the bottom section and thereby raising all of said sliding sections into said carrier guideways into contact with saidabutments, and thereafter swinging said carrier about said pivot means under the restraint of said silspension means, substantially as described.

11. In a door structure, the combination with a door frame having at opposite sides a plurality of vertical guideways, a normally vertical carrier mounted opposite the upper portioiiof the door opening having guideways normally alin-ing with the firstnamed guideways, suspension means pivotally connected to said carrier and said frame, sliding door sections normally mounted in extended relation in said frame guideways and movable therefrom into said carrier guideways, flexible'connections secured respectively to the tops of each of said sections except the uppermost, each connection from a vertical to an approximately horiextendmg thence around the lower end of zontal position, substantially as described. 10

the next higher section and secured at its In testimony whereof I aflix my signature upper end to the section or'carrier immein presence of two witnesses.

. diately above that, and means for lifting the HARRY C. SCHWEMLEIN.

bottom section and thereby raising all of Witnesses: said sliding sections into said carrier and FRANK L. MILLs, thereafter swinging said carrier upwardly EDWARD H. FLOHR. 

